Amidst National Nursing Shortage, Queens Nursing Degree Program Granted National Accreditation

FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK – On the heels of a concerning study finding 100 percent of New York State hospitals reporting unmitigable nursing shortages, Queens-based Plaza College has just been awarded a prestigious national accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program.

The Plaza College School of Nursing, launched in January 2022, was awarded formal accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as one of the most rigorous programmatic accreditation programs in the U.S.

The CCNE accreditation process is the culmination of years of preparation, including the development of a Self-Study report and three-day site visit during which CCNE representatives meet with students, staff, and clinical partners to determine the program’s effectiveness at meeting all outlined standards.

Dr. Abdur “Raheem” Nizar-Moses, PhD/MSN/RN, the program’s Chief Nurse Administrator and Dean of Nursing at Plaza College said, “To achieve CCNE accreditation illustrates the remarkable quality of the programs at Plaza College.  Our esteemed faculty and I are extremely proud of the level of attention and access to advanced resources that our program provides our students. Coupled with the clinical rotations at our affiliate hospitals and healthcare centers, the nursing education experience at Plaza is top-notch.”

Each Plaza nursing program cohort is made up of 40 students enrolled every other semester.  Its ethnically diverse student body was recognized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards at its 2021 ribbon cutting ceremony as “a true representation of the borough, which is one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world.”

On the second floor of the College’s Queens Boulevard campus, the unique Center for Healthcare Simulation includes an advanced suite of four training laboratories featuring innovative simulation technology that allows students to practice skills on medical manikins that mimic emergency room, labor and delivery, elder care, and other high-risk, patient-hospital care scenarios. The Plaza Nursing students use these skills to complement their studies with clinical rotations at specialized New York region healthcare hospital systems including:

Dire National-State Nursing Shortage:

An analysis published last year in the Journal Health Affairs found that the number of registered nurses in the U.S. fell by 115,220 from 2020 to 2021, the biggest decline in 40 years.

In New York, this has led to dire consequences for hospitals as, according to The Healthcare Association of New York State, 100 percent of hospitals responding to a survey said they had nursing shortages they are unable to fill.

Regina Pokidaylo, Director of Career Services at Plaza College said, “The number of openings for Registered Nurses – and many other related healthcare positions – in our area is truly concerning, but our graduates are exceptionally equipped and eager to help fill the voids.  We’re immensely proud of our graduates and the differences they’re already making in the community and workforce.”

Plaza’s other associate and baccalaureate-level healthcare focused degree programs include Dental Hygiene, Medical Assisting, Health Information Technology, Healthcare Management, and Surgical Technology (Coming Fall 2024).

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Plaza College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

For more information on the program or to inquire about the admissions process for the nursing program, please visit www.plazacollege.edu